Driving mechanism for paper-refining engines.



PATENTED FEB. 26, 1907.

I E. A. JONES. DRIVING MECHANISM EO PAPER REFINING ENGINES.

' BIO-845,302.

APPLICATION FILED NOV.16. 1906.

a a I THE NORRIS PETERS :0, WASHINGTON. n. c.

UNrTnn STATES ATENT OFFICE.

DRIVING MECHANISM FOR PAPER-REFINING ENGINES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Feb. 26, 1907.

Application filed November 16,1906. Serial No. 343,697.

To aZZ whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD A. J ONES, a' citizen of the United States, residing at Pit-tsfield, county of Berkshire, and State of Massachusetts, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Driving Mechanism for Paper-Refining Engines, fully de scribed and represented in the following specification and the accompanying drawings, forming a part of the same.

This invention relates to improvements in driving mechanism for paper-refining engines, the engines for which the improvement has been particularly designed being those of the Jordan type, which comprise a stationary shell witnin which rotates an endwise-adjustable core or plug, the shell and core or plug being provided with coacting cutting-knives which as the core rotates comminute or grind up the material to be actedon which is contained in the shell, and which engines have a driving mechanism for rotating said core or plug.

Heretofore, except for certain constructions hereinafter referred to, the mechanism employed for driving this type of engine comprised a belt-and-pulley construction.

In this construction the driving-pulley is splined or similarly connected with the shaft of the cutting core or plug, and there is a lateral pull exerted by the belt on the driven pulley, and therefore on the core-shaft, and the latter and the core are displaced laterally, so that the cutting-knives of the core do not coact uniformly at all points with the cuttingpoints of the shell in grinding the stock, the working efficiency of the engine belng thus considerably lessened. When the cuttingcore and its shaft are thus displaced from their normal position, a binding action takes place between them and their bearings, which prevents the proper operation of the mechanism as a whole, and particularly the mechanism for giving the core the endwise movement of adjustment. It has been proposed to drive the core or plug of these engines by an electric motor, the cutting core or plug being driven directly by the motorshaft, such construction being shown and described in Patents Nos. 823,109 and 824,910 to E. C. Crocker. These constructions answer the purposes for which they are designed and are very efficient. It is impossible to employ these constructions, however, in many cases, owing to the fact that in some places where it is desired to use these taining electric power.

Jordan engines there are no facilities for ob- In such circumstances a belt-and-pulley drive must be employed and it is the object of the present invention to provide a construction in which the belt and pulley may be used to drive the core and shaft of the refining-engine, which construction shall be free from the disadvantages and objections formerly attendant on use of the old belt-and-pulley-driven engines.

I have discovered that the defects in the old belt-and-pulley construction may .be remedied by rotatably mounting the pulley so that it is adjustable endwise relatively to the shell, the pulley, its shaft, and bearings therefor being carried on or by a support which is adapted to be moved endwise or longitudinally to and from the stationary shell of the engine, and that such construction may be further improved by providing some flexible connectionbetween the shaft of the pulley and the shaft of the core or plug, and also by the provision of means independent of the core or plug and its shaft for moving the pulley and its support endwise to and from the stationary shell of the machine when the core or plug is adjusted. One construction embodying these features which constitute the present invention will now be described in detail.

In the drawings, Figure l is a side elevattion, partly in section, of a paper-refining engine of the type referred to, certain portions of the same being broken away for illustrative purposes. Big. 2 is a section on the line 2 2 of Big. 1. Fig. 3 is a section on line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

Referring now to said drawings, which illustrate a preferred embodiment of the invention, 1 indicates a base, which base may be of any usual or desired construction, and on this base the refining-engine is supported. The refining-engine shown is of the Jordan type and comprises an outer stationary shell 2, supported in any suitable manner, as by standards 3, rising from the base 1, and a cutting core or plug 4, mounted to rotate within the shell. This cutting core or plug 4 is mounted on a shaft 5, journaled in bearings 6 on standards 7 rising from the base 1. The plug and plug-shaft are normally held against endwise movement relatively to the shell. As the engines are used, however, the

knives of the core or plug wear down, and an adjustment of the core relatively to the shell IIO is necessary in order that the knives on the cutting-surface of the core or plug may pro perly cooperate with the shell in refining the stock. Means are provided, therefore, for

l l l l both normally holding the plug and plugshaft against endwise or longitudinal movenient relatively to the shell and for giving such movement to the plug and its shaft rela tively to the shell as to el'l'eet this adjustment, which means include a wheeland -serev. device, such as shown at 8. The plug-shaft 5 and the plug 4 are, as l'iereinbefore stated and as shown, driven by a l. elt-andpulley construction, a pulley suitable for such ptrpose being shown at 9, the driving-belt 1t therefor leading to any suitable pow er-shaft {not shown,) will be understood.

As before stated, the driring-pulley S1 is adjustably mounted, so that it may hav an endwise or longitudinal movement relati'v ely to the stationary shell. The pulley is mounted or su 'iported in any su'table man-- ner, so that it may have this d red adjustment, and the construction. en'iployed foithis purpose may be varied. As shown, there is provided a shaft 11, on which the pulley is :arried and by which it is rotated. This shaft is se 'iarate from the shaft of the core or plug and is preferably 2. short shaft, so that there will be the hast possible lateral displacement of the said shaft due to the pull of the belt. This shaft suppm'tedv in suitable bearings 12, a herring being provided on each side of the pulley, which bearings are in turn supportedv by standards 13. In the preferred construction and as shown the pulley-shaft, its bearings, and the stand ards therefor are all mounted or supported so as to partake of the endwise-adjusting movement. in the construction shown to: effecting this purpose there is provided a e: rriage 1 1., to which the standards 13 are bolt ed or otherwise suitably secured. This carriage is adapted to move endwise or longitudinally on a base or bed plate 15, which is shown as separate from the base 1,, which supports the refining-engine, though it is obvious that the base 15 may be, if desired, a prolongation of the base 1.. This base or bed plate 1.5 is, shown, formed with E l-shaped portions 16, one of these H-shaped portions being provided on each side of the bed-plate. These K i-shaped portions extend upwardly above the plane of the bed-plate proper and form supports for the carriage 1.4;. If desired, the carriage 14 may be moved bael: and forth directly on these portions 16. T o reduce friction, however, and to render the movement of the carriage more even, in tl e upper part of the H of each portion. 16 there is mounted a plurality of rolls 17, these rolls being mounted in and held in position by flanges 18, suitably se aired in the upper part of the portions 16. The carriage 14- is supported on these rolls 17, which are arranged plates being boltedv or otherwiw suitably seeured to the sides of the earriage 113. l hese side plates are formed. with proie: liens 2o, which projeetions lit and slide in grooves er retesi-ied portions 21, formed on the ou=lside of eaeh of the t-l-shapml. portions 113. lhese side iEltttQS 20 therefore act both as guides fir the e: rriage 16 and have the 'l'vrther tum-r ion of reti' the earriage 16 in us gtlar e on tilt rolls ag inst the up-pnll of the belt and prevent ie carriage from being turned over or displaced by sueh up-p ill.

'l hese side plums 2U furthermore lso prevent dirt eiiering to the rolls. For lweping dirt out of the rolls bey hid the ends of the side plates l itl'v are provided rover-pieees 2'2, one of these (o\'ei'- pier-s being provided at eaeh ad of eazh portion. 16 and secured by being boiled to ihe carria e in re eonstruelion so far described it has been found iu'pra t to that the (arriage l l is moved or draw ewise by the si;le pull of the belt onv the puller. This sidewise movement or *rust of the carriage again; tie bare on. .iirh it is mounted (auses a bi? ling artio'; to talae plat-e belween the :arriage and the base. This l)i1i.=.ling an ion is undesira ble in that it 'prevenis the carriage fi'olii bei. moved freely along the. base by the adjust ii merhanism, am. thus prevents the proper. tion of said. IMijilt-dllil nuu-hai'ism. .deaus are providml, l'litl't are, by the rreseu L. ioveii' i.

in for obviating this dillir uliy. e earriage is provided with truss-ban 1?.1. me eruss-bar being provided, at ea h end of L iC- earriage. These (loss-bars 211 have broadenml. extremities and are arranged to extend below the plane of the rarriage bi tweei'i the supports it. The inner fa. es of the cross-bars that is, the fa. es lying nevi the inner fates of the supports Hi are l cessed, as shown. at it). Iii these i((* -es are li ttblvliiiflii d a iluralii y l' ve1'i"all disposed an frietioa- 'ollers 2i), Liieae l'mlltir beingarranged to b atragairsi 1' he a the "riafil'ion between the rarriage n Y port is i'ttltiflii, thus avoiding the biwhig a ition above referred to and permilliw i P proper movement of the rarriage on i pot and the proper working of the adyusl ingin eeh anisi n To remedy any lateral displaeemenl wi may be caused either by the pulley-shat i. getlOO ting out of line, due to the pull of the belt, or 1 and the latters adjusting mechanism of this strain, and these means will now be-described.

the core-shaft getting out of line, due to the Weight of the core, the pulley-shaft and the shaft of the cutting core or plug will preferably be connected by some flexible connection, these two shafts being a ranged so that they are in substantial axial alinement. Any suitable flexible connection may be employed to compensate for the lateral displacement which may occur between the contiguous ends of the said shafts. As shown, there is provided a flexible coupling member 23, preferably of the construction shown, which by its flexibility con'ipensates for the lateral displacement of the core-shaft relatively to the pulley-shaft and renders any ordinary displacement of the core-shaft immaterial as far as the Working efficiency of the engine is concerned. This coupling comprises two spiders 2d 25, each of which has a plurality of arms 26, the number of arms shown being four on each spider. In coupling the two shafts together one of the spiders is made fast by a key and setscrew 27 to the end of the pulley-shaft 11 next the engine, and the other spider is similarly made fast to the end of the coreshaft 5 next the driving pulley, the spiders being so arranged and placed in position that their arms interlock. The interlocking arms of the spiders are separated by cylinders or plugs of soft rubber 28, which give great flexibility to the coupling. rubber cylinders or plugs are held in position. and the parts of the coupling united by plates 28, secured to the arms of the spiders. WVith this construction, in which the drivingpulley is mounted on a separate short shaft and connected with the shaft of the cutting core or plug by the flexible coupling, any lat- The eral displacement of the contiguous ends of the two shafts does not affect in any manner The plug and plug-shaft can sag down or become 1 the working efficiency of the engine.

displaced without in any way affecting the pulley-shaft, and the pulley-shaft, if laterally displaced by the up or down pull of the belt, does not affect the working of the plug.

It will be seen that in the construction so far described the carriage supporting the pulley and its shaft is adapted to be moved or adjusted endwise relatively to the shell. If such movement were given it by the adjusting mechanism through the plug-shaft and the coupling member, connectingpulley, and the plug-shaft, all the strain of the movement would come on the coupling, plug-shaft, and the adjusting mechanism. for the latter, and in the case of a flexible coupling, such as shown and described, (and which is preferably used,) such strain. would be apt to pull the coupling apart. Means are, however,

In the construction shown one of the crossbars 29, with which the carriage 14 is provided, supports a threaded nut 30, bolted or otherwise suitably secured thereto. Suitably supported on the base 1 is provided a shaft 31, which shaft extends the length of the machine and is provided with a threaded end 32, which works in the threaded nut 30, this shaft heing preferably positioned so as to be central of the base 1 and at the lower portion thereof, as shown. The other end of this shaft 30 carries a gear 33, which gear meshes with a gear 34. This latter gear is an intermediate gear and is supported in any suitable manner, as by a short shaft 35, mounted in a hanger 36, suitably secured to the machine. This intermediate gear 34 meshes with a gear 37, which is mounted on the screw-shaft 38 of the adjusting device 8. By this construction when the plug is moved endwise by the screw-shaft 38 of the adjusting mechanism the carriage 14, supporting the pulley, is also given an endwise movement through the shaft 31, which thus re lieves the core-shaft and the flexible coupling 23 of strain. In order that the movement given the carriage 14 by the shaft 31 shall be equal. to the movement given the plug by the adjusting mechanism, the shaft 38 and the shaft 31 are provided with threads of equal pitch, and the gears 33 and 37 are made equal gears.

What is claimed is 1. In a refining-engine, the combination of a stationary shell, of a cutting core or plug rotatably mounted within the shell, a plugshaft on which the plug is supported, mechanism. for adjusting the plug and its shaft endwise relatively to the shell, a pulley having a flexible connection with said plug-shaft so as to drive the latter, a support for said pulley adjustable endwise relatively to the shell, guiding means for the pulley-support, and means independent of the plug and plugshaft for so adjusting the pulley-support. substantially as described.

2. In a refining-engine, the comhination of stationary shell, of a cutting core or plug rotatably mounted within the shell, a plugshaft on which the plug is supported, mechanism for adjusting the plug and. its shaft endwise relatively to the shell, a pulley having a flexible connection with said plug-shaft so as to drive the latter, a base, a carriage on the base for supporting the pulley adjustable endwise relatively to the shell, means for guiding and retaining the carriage on the base, and means independent of the plug and plug-shaft for so adjusting the carriage, subprovided by the present invention independent of the adjusting mechanism for the plugshaft for so adjusting the pulley, and thus relieving the coupling member, the plug-shat t,

stantially as described.

3. In a refining-engine, the combination of a stationary shell, of a cutting core or plug rotatably mounted within the shell, a plugshaft on which the plug is supported, mechanism for adjusting the plug and its shaft ei'idwise relatively to the shell, a pulley having a flexible connection With said plug-shalt so as to drive the latter, a base provided with grooves on its outer sides, a carriage on the base for supporting the pulley adjustable endwise relatively to the shell, and guiding and retaining plates fixed to the carriage hav- 1o ing projections Working in the grooves on the base for guiding and retaining the carriage on the base; substantially as described.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of two subseribing Witnesses.

, EDWARD A. Jtllilflek.

Vitnesses FRANK E. BQNNEY, EDWARD B. HULL. 

